Dario Franchitti and the No. 40 TUMS Dodge Team (NSCS) and No. 40 Fastenal Dodge Team (NNS)Rookie Update: Franchitti is still third in the NSCS Raybestos Rookie of the Year race, just seven points (71) behind rookie class leader Sam Hornish Jr. (78). Franchitti still leads the NNS Raybestos Rookie off the Year standings. With a total of 80 points, he leads fellow CGRFS teammate Bryan Clauson (whose current tally is 52) by 28 points.

Talladega was His First: When Franchitti gets on track Thursday for NNS first practice it won’t be his first time driving a stock car on the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Franchitti made his career-first stock car start at Talladega Superspeedway last October in the ARCA Re/Max race (started sixth, finished 17th) after announcing earlier that same month he had signed a multi-year deal with the CGRFS to compete in the NSCS and NNS beginning this year.

Check out the Parrott Perspective: Franchitti’s NNS crew chief Brad Parrott is keeping fans up to date on what is going on in the world of the Fastenal Racing Team through an on-line log he is keeping throughout the 2008 NNS season. Check out the Parrott Perspective at www.fastenalracing.com.

That is what I call A BIG STEP FORWARD: Scott Pruett and the No. 40 Fastenal Dodge team put forth a solid effort at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (AHR) last Sunday in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing third after starting from the outside pole position in the NNS Corona Mexico 200. The No. 40 Fastenal Team advanced six positions total—into 11th place—after scoring the top-five finale at AHR. The team is now only four points outside the top 10 and 267 out of first going into this weekend’s run in Talladega.

CHASSIS INFO

No. 40 Fastenal Dodge (NNS): Chassis #751. This is the same car Franchitti raced at Daytona International Speedway during the season-opening Camping World 300 (started fourth, finished 20th). It is also the same car Montoya raced at Talladega in April 2007 during which he and the team started 20th and then finished seventh.